The Modi government has been in office for almost a year and a lot of changes are in the pipe line. India is a Socialist Democratic Republic, but our democracy is turning out to be by parties either run by a family or dictators. MPs and MLAs have become crorepattis and many are freebooters relishing their privileged VIP status. This class extending to relatives, friends and “chamchas” live comparatively comfortably and are determined to lord it over the common man! There is now a “Make in India” movement where laws and rules are being changed to make it easier for corporates and construction companies to do business whilst attracting FDI and collaboration for industrializing India for faster growth. The Law Minister Sadananda Gowda asserts that he will ensure the supremacy of Parliament in the tussle with the Judiciary, and recently a Dalit High Court judge threatened the Madras Chief Justice with contempt which is a dangerous trend!
If at all there is supremacy, it is the people who are represented by the Constitution of India which lays down who is supreme and when! Power corrupts and the arrogance of VIP culture appears to be rising to ominous proportions instead of diminishing, except for few politicians like Fadnavis and Parrikar trying to change this mindset by example. Arun Shourie, who was a cabinet minister in the Vajpayee government has praised Modi’s foreign policy, but rightly slammed the centralized decision making by troika of PM, finance minister and Amit Shah. He pointed out that the PMO lacks the ‘expertise and talent’ quotient required, and warned against choking of institutions like CIC, CVC and Lokpal. The previous and present government self righteous governance styles by not properly implementing the 73rd and 74th Amendment for devolution of powers is certainly not friendly for people and their environment! Trying to shut down and discourage “troublesome” NGOs, smother freedom of expression and polarizing India is counter productive for a healthy democracy
Chetan Bhagat’s article “Bake in India” drew attention to farmer’s suicides and the neglected farm sector emphasized that it is here FDI is required for upgrading this sector with the latest techniques and knowledge to make farming more productive, fashionable and lucrative, so farmers need not migrate to cities and Industrial factories and makes India a granary to the world. Irrigation schemes are needed to remove farming for monsoon dependency and much needed modernization. The concerns of people in general regarding any project that will impact their lives have to be seriously heard and addressed!
Few examples in Goa: the government has failed to put in place badly needed administrative and police reforms. Roads continue to be dug up without coordination routinely destroying underground pipelines and services, leaving hazards “permitted by the government” unmarked with impunity. Failure to finalize the RP 2021 and implement a people oriented policy which respects environment, people’s health, preserves our cultural, architectural ethos and land resources, and which would not encourage influx of big land sharks, speculators and hordes of migrants. No effective SIC or Lokayukta. The St Inez creek is an open sewer, Saipem lake and river Sal dying, dangerous hill cutting under Baga Retreat House, Sonsodo and garbage pollution, marinas sanctioned without EIA, CRZ clearances, Environment Minister Alina Saldhana told to keep her mouth shut! Their own government is responsible for interference in their way of life and livelihood without addressing their concerns, leaving them powerless dependent on their mercy, migrant labor or the rich and powerful.
On April 1, 12:12 am, India’s population was 1,27,89,53,812 and every second one baby ads to the digit! Around 21 million babies are born every month in India, which is almost equal to the population of Australia! As per the 2012 Population Council survey, 75% women in Bihar and 54% in MP do not use any contraception. There is no sense of spacing, malnourished mothers and multiple miscarriages. Every second child is malnourished or stunted. The situation is no different in the big states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha. Government sterilization or tubectomy done in a camp setting is callous and women suffer further. This problem has no priority!
India’s basic internal problems remain stupendous. We have to solve the “Bake in India” problems before we can be successful in the “Make in India” as envisaged by the Modi government. In general, the rich and corrupt have become richer and the poor and honest poorer. Even after 68 years since independence, the political expediency of reservation and favoritism thrives leading to corruption in thought and deed. High prices, no problem, raise taxes and tariffs, but increase government salaries and dearness allowance. Justice is generally for the rich and powerful. Thousands of under trials languishing in jails not convicted cannot even get access to judges leave alone get/afford bail! It takes laborious courts to try to bring to justice idols and politicians with mega bucks as evident in the recent Salman Khan, Mickky Pacheco and TN Chief Minister Jayalathaa episodes.
Ignoring what people like Sushil Kumar, Julio Rebeiro and Arun Shourie say and intimidating citizens like Shobha De, NGOs, cartoonists and preventing the arts and various cultures from flourishing freely whilst rubbishing facts will not make India a nation to be proud of. Let’s face the reality of a globalized world, our nation of vast diversity and in need of modernizing and major changes in mindset. It is not easy to dismantle the VIP syndrome; legislation ensuring people subsidize all their perks, and an embedded system used to corruption which has dehumanized people! To be worthy of democracy “we the people” have to ensure that we, and our institutions with checks and balances are free to function and course correct our government. This assumes great importance specially when there appears to be evolving a dictatorial regime, “supremos” at the head of almost every party and ruling rather than serving is becoming the norm.
(The author is a retired naval officer.)
